Management of health-care is an important part of hospital hygiene and infection control system. One of the most contaminated sections in the hospitals is the trapped water in siphon system in a sink.
The siphon system of the sink has a water trap, which is located underneath of a sink. The water trap is a bent pipe, which come in different shapes, such as a U, S, or J-shaped traps. Once the sink is used, part of the water remains in the bend. The trapped water seals the pipe blocking the back flow of sewer gases (from the drain pipes back into the occupied space of the building).
The sink drain in a hospital room is an active pool of dangerous bacteria living inside a layer of bio-film. This bio-film not only provides a breeding ground for bacteria, it provides a protective cover. The concentration of bacteria in a water trap may be in a range of 106-1010 colony forming units per milliliter (CFU/ml). Therefore, sink drains are recognized as one of the main sources for transmission of hospital infections. These resistant pathogenic microorganisms, which can cause nosocomial infection, can be transmitted by direct contact, through the air, or by a variety other vectors.
When the water runs in the sink, bacteria from the drain get carried up into the air above the drain through aerosols, re-contaminating the hands and splashing onto any other surrounding surfaces, easily infecting patients in the ward. Researches have shown extremely high levels of deadly bacteria, such as Pseudomonas and Clostridium, in hospital sinks may cause various infections, such as urinary tract infection, respiratory system infections, dermatitis, soft tissue, bone and joint infections, and gastrointestinal infections. Healthy individuals have a normal general resistance to infection. Patients with an underlying disease, newborn babies, and the elderly have less resistance and may develop an infection.
Currently, hospitals pour strong disinfectants into the drain. This offers a temporary solution, since the organisms in the bio-film are extremely hard to kill. For example, it is estimated that 50% of staphylococcal strains are resistant to all antibiotics currently in use. The regrowth of the bacteria will begin within days or weeks after the treatment.
Other sterilization methods by using ozone have also shown to be an effective method for disinfection system, however, they are irritant and unhealthy for humans. A combination of UV/ozone sterilizer and a sink trap sterilizer has also been described in the art. These devices are used in combination with other traditional devices, such as air-duct sanitizer or floor sanitizer, for the hospital environment sanitation.
The prior art also discloses application of high heat to the drain siphon along with vibration of the drain. The high heat kills the bacteria continuously and the mechanical vibration prevents bio-film formation inside the drain. This method is complex, consumes a high amount of energy, and is expensive.
Other disinfection methods such as superheat and flush, ultraviolet light and hyper chlorination are also suggested for the standing water in siphon trap. Most of these methods have disadvantages in practice, are costly, labor-intensive and require high power consumption.
The present invention uses an electrochemical treatment to disinfect the trapped water. It is well known that ions of heavy metals such as copper or silver are biocidal for many bacteria. For instance, copper-silver ionization has been used destroy bacteria such as Legionella, the bacteria responsible for legionnaire's disease. Generally, copper-silver ionization has been an effective process to control bacteria in water distribution systems. The presence of copper and silver ions destroys the biofilms and slims of the bacteria. Ionization can be an effective process to control bacteria in water distribution systems found in health facilities. In England, copper-silver ionization is successfully applied in about 120 hospitals for the deactivation of Legionella bacteria. In the United States, copper-silver ionization is used for swimming pool water disinfection. Copper-silver is often used to limit disinfection byproducts formation during chlorine disinfection. Copper-silver ionization is not dependent on temperatures. It is active in the entire water system. Copper-silver ionization is also used by water bottling companies and companies that recycle water throughout the United States.
Copper-silver ionization process is brought about by electrolysis. An electric current is created through copper-silver, causing positively charged copper and silver ions to form. Electrically charged copper ions (Cu2+) in the water attract particles of opposite polarity, such as bacteria, viruses and fungi. Positively charged copper ions form electrostatic compounds with negatively charged cell walls of microorganisms. These compounds disturb cell wall permeability and cause nutrient uptake to fail. Copper ions penetrate the cell walls and create an entrance for silver ions (Ag+) to penetrate the core of the microorganism. Silver ions bond to various parts of the cell, such as the DNA and RNA, cellular proteins and respiratory enzymes, causing all life support systems in the cell to be immobilized. As a result, there is no more cellular growth or cell division, causing bacteria to no longer multiply and eventually die out. The ions remain active until they are absorbed by a microorganism. The rate at which the ions are released is automatically maintained by a solid-state, microprocessor-based control unit.